Attendance is Everybodys Business Local District West Pupil

Attendance is Everybody’s Business Local District West Pupil Services and Attendance May, 2018

Warm Up Activity Please stand when the question applies to you. • Do you have children in school? • Do you visit your child’s school once a month? • How many of your children have perfect attendance? • Do you visit the school for academic reasons? • Have you ever been to an attendance informational meeting? • Do you visit the school for extracurricular activities? • Is the main office staff welcoming?

Learning Goals: 1. Examine the connection between attendance and family engagement 2. Learn why attendance should not be treated as a separate educational issue 3. Identify opportunities to integrate attendance into existing family engagement activities 4. Identify available resources and materials about attendance and chronic absence

• Think for a second about a child that you know with good attendance. • What do you think motivates his/her parent to ensure that child attends school every day?

Connection Between Attendance and Family Engagement. • Establish a positive relationship with parents • Communicate clear expectations and support • Take a strengths-based approach • Parent Volunteers • Establishing & Administering School/Office Volunteer Program (Bulletin 5678. 1)

3 Tiered Approach to Attendance Intensive Far Below Basic 87% in-seat attendance Below Basic: 87 -91% in-seat attendance 15 or more absences *Intensive Interventions *SART & SARB Meetings *Specific and individualized plans *Educational alternatives/options *Case Managed support Tier III *Re-teach Attendance * Systems of Identification *Student/family supports *Documentation & Monitoring * Team Meetings (COST/SST) Targeted (At-risk Students) Basic: 92 -95% in-seat attendance 8 -14 absences Tier II *Teach Attendance *Reinforce good habits *Positive School Climate * Communicate goals *Attendance plans Universal Proficient: 96 -99% in-seat attendance Perfect Attendance: 100% Missing less than 7 days Tier I

Let’s Discuss • What are you doing to promote a welcoming school climate? • List strategies to promote a welcoming school climate around attendance. • Do you reach out to parents to volunteer? • How can parent volunteers support teachers, classrooms, and office staff?

Learn why attendance should not be treated as a separate educational issue Ensure Your Campus Feels Safe • 21% of students say they miss school because they don’t feel safe • Community Violence • Creating Partnerships with local businesses or agencies • 15. 5% of students who are bullied say they miss 1 -2 days a week because of safety concerns • Bully awareness week • School wide behavioral support • Clear expectations early and throughout the year • Follow guidelines for: • Bullying and Hazing Policy (Bulletin 5212. 2) • Suicide Prevention (Bulletin 2637. 3) • Threat Assessment (Bulletin 5799. 0)

Learn why attendance should not be treated as a separate educational issue Ensure Your Campus is Healthy • Eliminate mold and trash that exacerbate asthma & respiratory illness • Make sure your school is properly ventilated • Promote health habits such as hand washing • Provide access to health care through school nurse or community partners to provide health, dental and counseling services to students at the school sites

Let’s Discuss • What is the process for visitors when they come on campus? • How do you handle bullying on your campus? • How are you teaching healthy habits? • Who do parents or students go to when they have a chronic illness? • Does your school have a team in place for suicide and threat assessments? What is the procedure?

Identify opportunities to integrate attendance into existing family engagement activities Tasks Before School Year Begins • Back-to-school letters, social media, Connect–Ed telephone calls or home visits • The date and time that school starts • Reminders about required immunization • Attendance Policy to include tardy procedures, excused and unexcused absences • Share your schools attendance data • Encourage partners-summer learning, afterschool program or health providers to share the message

Highlight activities or events that celebrate attendance at your school September Attendance Awareness Month Let’s Celebrate Attendance! What incentives are given? What time frame? Advise parents of opportunities to volunteer at attendance events! Are students and parents aware of how to qualify?

Understanding the LCAP Attendance Goal Attendance Achievement by Instructional Day To maintain Proficient/Advanced Attendance, students may miss no more than 1 day for every 25 days enrolled. Attendance Achievement by Instructional Day (2017 -2018) Means having NO MORE THAN 1 absence per 25 DAYS OF INSTRUCTION Instructional Day FBB BB Basic Proficient Advanced 25 Date September 20 th 4 or more 3 2 1 0 50 October 26 th 7 or more 5 -6 3 -4 1 -2 0 75 December 8 th 10 or more 7 -9 4 -6 1 -3 0 100 February 5 th 14 or more 9 -13 5 -8 1 -4 0 125 March 13 th 17 or more 11 -16 6 -10 1 -5 0 150 April 25 th 20 or more 13 -19 7 -12 1 -6 0 175 May 31 st 23 or more 15 -22 8 -14 1 -7 0 180 June 7 th 24 or more 15 -23 8 -14 1 -7 0 *Please note that these breakdowns apply to students who have been enrolled continuously since the first day of school. Students who enroll late will have fewer days of instruction, and must therefore miss fewer days of school to maintain a 96% attendance rate. How many days can a student miss to still be considered as having Prof/Adv attendance by September 20 th?

Identify opportunities to integrate attendance into existing family engagement activities Attendance Integrated in all Activities • Back to School assemblies, Open House, Performance Events, Award Ceremonies • Monthly or classroom newsletters • Keep messages positive while mentioning that families will be contacted if absences start adding up • Launch Attendance Awareness Month-September to build awareness of the importance of attendance

Identify opportunities to integrate attendance into existing family engagement activities • Make personal telephone calls to students with absences early on • Letters: Periodically sending reminders of the student’s attendance • Ask parent to provide Medical Documentation to the school • Develop partnerships with medical and dental providers • Collaborate with District Nursing when there are health concerns

Let’s Discuss • What does your school do to spread the word about good attendance before the start of the school year? • How is attendance promoted during back to school events? • How can these efforts be improved or enhanced? • What obstacles do you face in reaching families before the start of the year?

Identify available resources and materials for attendance and chronic absence • Look into Alternative Educational Options • Carlson Home Hospital School (Bulletin 1229. 2) • Needs Dr. approval • Guidelines for Independent Study Programs (Bulletin 6779. 1) • Pupils in the Entertainment and Allied Industries (Bulletin 6837. 0) • City of Angels (323)415 -8350 (Elementary and Secondary) • Division of Adult & Career Education • Accelerated College and Career Transition Program (AC 2 T) • Request a 504 plan • This is for accommodations at the school site

For questions Contact Pupil Services: (213) 241 -3844

WEST Welcoming Environment Support Trust Questions? ?

Pat Burt, Coordinator (310) 235 -3748 Althea Howard, SARB Chairperson (310) 235 -3779 Celina Molina, Lead PSA Counselor/ SARB (310) 235 -3778 Necko Taylor, Lead PSA Counselor (310) 235 -3777 Local District West, Pupil Services